Iris lazica
Jane McGary (Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:54:45 PST)

At my former garden in the Cascade foothills, where winter lows were
usually about 15 F and occasionally a few degrees lower, I grew Iris
lazica and I. cretensis in the ground in well-drained soil, and they
suffered no damage and flowered well. I had one clump of I.
unguicularis in the bulb frame, where most of it still is because I
can't pry it out of the ground, and one in a raised planter sheltered
by a deck.

I. lazica seems to grow best with some afternoon shade (it is very
drought-tolerant), but it flowered better in full sun. I. cretensis
got a little shade in the morning. I moved the latter to my new
garden and planted it on a steep bank (a situation where it is seen
in the wild) because the soil is poorly drained. I haven't brought I.
lazica yet, and I. unguicularis is temporarily in a raised sand bed
until I find a better place for it.

SPeaking of irises, last fall I bought some Pacific Coast hybrid
irises that were shipped to me bare-root. I planted them in a
well-drained spot the day they arrived, but the majority of them have
failed to grow. Never again!

Jane McGary
Portland, Oregon, USA